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Ursula Winerose
Ursula Levente ''(née Winerose) ''is the eldest daughter of Charles Anthony Winerose, and his lady wife Katarina. Although she was an ordained priestess and a battle-tested cleric, her affinity for the shadow, and her marriage in secret to Janos Levente cost her any standing she once held within the Church. She was the apprentice of Gavin Felheart, under whose tutelage she learned to harness the power of shadow without being corrupted by it, and with whose aid, she founded the Coven of Duskwood. Although she suffered betrayal and mortal death at the hands of her own husband, Ursula's soul remained in the keeping of her apprentice, Erzsibet Mara. With the aid of High Priestess, Taindrel Moonsorrow, Ursula was resurrected in early October of 624 K.C. and briefly resumed her role as the gentle, guiding hand of the Coven until she was forced to leave after she discovered that the Coven's purpose had shifted so drastically from what she had intended for it. Seldom seen since her departure from the Coven, Ursula was known to have journeyed to Draenor, where she has donned armor and spent at least two months tending to wounded Alliance soldiers and bolstering the morale of the troops stationed at Stormshield, Shadowmoon Valley, Fort Wrynn, and other locations. She has since returned to Stormwind, where she now serves in its local Chapter of the Silver Hand. Physical Description Tall, graceful, and elegant when not clad in battle armor, she is a woman well into her forties. Her figure would suggest that she was no stranger to frequent exercise and outdoor pursuits. Her eyes are the color of the sea and seldom seem to miss even the smallest detail with regard to those around her. Owing to the months she has spent there, she seems to have adopted a style of clothing that is closer to that of the natives of Draenor, and although she no longer wears the silver and diamonds she so often used to when her husband was alive, both ears remain double-pierced with simple, truesilver rings. Well-spoken and highly intelligent, her manner and eloquent speech suggest that she has been afforded the very finest in education. Her faint accent hints at her Stormwindian origin, though she has spent much of her adult life elsewhere. As duty often brings her to one battlefield or another, she may be seen in a full suit of Alliance standard-issue armor, and carrying what appears to be a paladin's war hammer when on active duty. A ragged, leather-bound libram is often chained to her belt. Brief History Born in Stormwind during the reign of King Llane, Ursula's early childhood was no different than that of most children of the Kingdom's aristocrats. Private schooling, access to a library containing centuries of wisdom, and her mother's association with Northshire Abbey made for a well-rounded young lady, but hers was a fairytale childhood that would not have a happy ending. At the age of just eleven, her life would change forever as a result of her father's treason. Lord Winerose was beheaded for his crimes, and facing similar charges, her elder brother fled the Kingdom. Because of their crimes, the family was stripped of its title and estate, leaving Ursula and her mother virtually penniless. No longer welcome among Stormwind's high society, and forced to rely upon the generosity of relatives, Ursula and her mother lived a relatively secluded life until tragedy struck once more. Ursula's mother died of poor health and depression when she was just fourteen, and insisted that instead of the orphanage, her daughter should be raised at Northshire, Abbey where she would take up a career in the priesthood. As the daughter of a traitor, Lady Katarina felt that such a life was the best her daughter could hope for. Priesthood At nineteen, Ursula became an ordained priest at Northshire Abbey, where she would serve the Church in some capacity for the next decade. During that time, she continued her education in the Light, and also received an education in the shadow under the tutelage of Gavin Felheart. As time passed, Ursula soon realized that despite her good intentions, the Church would never condone one of its priests dabbling in powers in considered to be forbidden. Unable to speak openly of her own beliefs, she continued her second education in secrecy, hoping to bridge the gap between Light and Shadow. Knights of the Silver Hand Although she was never formally inducted into the Order of the Silver Hand, Ursula underwent three years of paladin training, donned a full suit of armor, and fought alongside the paladins in a number of conflicts. During this time, she served primarily as a battlefield healer and was known for both her courage, and her steadfast demeanor under pressure. Ursula holds a great deal of respect for the paladins and regularly performs blessings for those brave men and women who are about to depart for battle. Marriage Although it was strictly forbidden, in her early twenties, Ursula fell in love with a charismatic priest from Myrewood. Janos Levente was well-educated, came from a good family, and was already well on his way to becoming a Bishop. Unwilling to accept that it could possibly be the Light's will for two good people to deny their wholesome feelings for one another, the two married in secret just three months after Ursula's twenty sixth birthday. Their marriage resulted in a formal investigation into their conduct, during which Ursula's sermons were frequently audited by senior members of the clergy. It was eventually determined after a few years that for marrying Janos without consent, and for pursuing knowledge of the shadow of her own accord, she was no longer fit to serve as a priest in Northshire. For her husband, the consequences of the marriage and his association with Ursula would prevent him from ever enjoying a seat on the Council of Bishops. Although he did eventualy become Bishop of Myrewood, Myrewood had been a titular Bishop for the last century, and the office did not grant its holder a seat on the council. This would be the start of numerous problems with their marriage. The Coven In 613 K.C. Ursula was reunited with her former mentor, Gavin Felheart. The two discussed the benefits of properly educating those with an affinity for the shadow, rather than simply forbidding them to study. Both Ursula and Gavin had come to understand that there were times when in order to protect one's loved ones, one must fight fire with fire. The Coven of Duskwood was born of their desire to offer a safe haven for those who wished to study what others considered forbidden magic. Her hope for these acolytes was that in time, they would come to the same conclusion she had--that being that the Light must surely triumph over the darkness. Betrayal Having spent a nearly a decade doing everything in her power to bridge the gap between practitioners of Light and Shadow, Ursula once more sought a return to the Church's good graces--an ambition that would be denied by her husband. Janos' resentment had festered like an old wound throughout their marriage, leading him to adopt unsavory tactics in his efforts to manipulate the Holy Church from within. Having used his influence as Bishop of Myrewood to amass great wealth, he plotted next to destroy the Church's hierarchy. When Ursula learned of his plans, she pleaded with her husband to reconsider such drastic measures and when Janos refused, she threatened to expose his plot to the Bishops of the Council. In a fit of rage, Janos strangled her to death and preserved her corpse, which he intended to resurrect at a later time. When the Coven later learned that it was Ursula's own husband responsible for her fate, Janos would mysteriously disappear, and would never be seen again. Shortly after his disappearance, Ursula's former apprentice, Erzsibet Mara and her followers managed to resurrect her with the aid of High Priestess, Taindrel Moonsorrow. The Road Ahead Brought back to life, only to discover that the Coven she had founded no longer shared her vision, Ursula's desire that the Coven should emerge from the shadows was so poorly received that she was voted out of the leadership. Disheartened and utterly alone, Ursula quietly slipped away the next morning and enlisted in Stormwind's Army, offering herself as a healer. With the war against the Iron Horde in full swing, the need for battle-tested healers had never been greater, and Ursula soon made her way to Draenor. The war against the Iron Horde seemed to give her life purpose once more, allowing her to work closely with Alliance soldiers from numerous backgrounds and over the next two months, she became a fixture in their camps, at their outposts, and never far from the field. Ursula tended to the wounded, offered spiritual counsel and at times, simply a friendly, sympathetic ear to the Alliance soldiers who had seen so many of their brothers in arms fall beneath the might of the Iron Horde. Regardless of race, sex, religion or social background, Ursula offered these soldiers the same respect, tenacity and compassion as she would any follower of the Light. Her time spent among the soldiers and many battlefields of old Draenor only served to solidify her belief that those within the Church who claimed righteousness while in the Light's name, condemning any who did not share in their beliefs were the cause of the great divides that the Holy Church so often faced. Knowing in her heart that not all those who practiced magic frowned upon by society were evil and that indeed, many wished to share in the fellowship of the Church of the Holy Light, but had been driven away by zealots and old fashioned Bishops, Ursula vowed to do all that was in her power to bridge the ever-widening gap. She has since returned to Stormwind, where she discovered that a new, local chapter of the Order of the Silver Hand had had risen up. Having trained with the original Knights of the Silver Hand, fought alongside them in numerous battles and healed their wounds, Ursula immediately offered herself for service within the new chapter. Category:Characters Category:Priests Category:Coven of Duskwood Category:House of Winerose Category:Stormwind Human